Thursday, October 22, 2009

Michelle Obama Hula-Hooping Our Way to Health

“First, the buff first arms. Then the First Lady's White House playground. Then the First Lady's White House victory garden. Then the First Lady's patronage of farmer's markets for things that grow in the filthy ground or hang on trees where birds perch and do things. It's a given that too many Americans are obese. They don't exercise enough. The good news is their flabby thighs are hidden by their drooping stomachs. Now, yesterday First Lady Michelle Obama had a Healthy Kids Fair on the sunny White House South Lawn. Will this healthy stuff ever stop with these people? Yes, of course, it's a political show. Playing with kids at a scheduled time that allows TV studio editors to process the video in time for the afternoon/evening newscasts is part of American public life now, regardless of party. (Think the Bushes' adorable T-ball games at the White House.) But M.O.'s enthusiasm is almost contagious, making some American adults at least contemplate getting up out of their La-Z-Boys to move their enlarged bodies slightly. And not just toward the fridge.”